Tool handle in particular of screwdriver, corresponding tool, and range of tools consisting of said tools

ABSTRACT

A tool handle having a core ( 2 ) adapted to be secured to a screwdriver blade ( 1 ), and a sleeve ( 3 ) of plastics material placed around the core. The core and the sleeve have portions in relief ( 9, 20 ) for mutual positioning in rotation, and mutual positioning devices ( 5, 10, 11, 14, 17, 21, 22 ) for mutual positioning in axial translation. The sleeve ( 3 ) is a part that is distinct from the core, and is made of a semi-rigid plastics material and is engaged on the core ( 2 ) from in front.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a handle for a tool, in particular fora screwdriver, of the type comprising a core adapted to be secured to ablade of the tool and a sleeve of plastics material placed around thecore. The core and the sleeve having portions in relief for mutualpositioning in rotation, and mutual positioning means for mutualpositioning in axial translation.

This design makes it possible to implement a range of tools, inparticular screwdrivers, at low cost and having different finishinglayers, all starting from a single blank constituted by the core.

FR-A-2 730 658 proposes a screwdriver of the above-specified type inwhich the sleeve is overmolded onto the core fitted with the blade.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to improve that tool so as to enableproduction throughput to be increased and also to increase reactivity,i.e. the ease with which the outer appearance of the tool can bemodified, while simultaneously reducing manufacturing costs.

For this purpose, the invention provides a handle for a tool, inparticular a screwdriver, of the above-specified type, characterized inthat the sleeve is a part that is distinct from the core, being made ofa semi-rigid plastics material and being engaged onto the core from infront.

The invention also provides a tool, in particular a screwdriver, havinga handle as defined above and an extension, in particular a screwdriverblade, fixed in the handle.

The invention also provides a range of tools, in particularscrewdrivers, in which all of the tools in the range are as definedabove and the handles of all of the tools of the range have the samecore and differ in the outside shape and/or the color and/or a coatingand/or marking of the sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a screwdriver constructed in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is an end view from in front taken in section on line II—II ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the core of the FIG. 1 screwdriver;

FIG. 4 is an end view from in front of the core, seen looking alongarrow IV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the FIG. 3 core after being turnedthrough one-fourth of a turn about its own axis from the position ofFIG. 3, together with an axial sectional view of the FIG. 1 screwdriversleeve ready for engaging on the core;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional of the assembled screwdriver, the sectionbeing taken on lines VI—VI of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows details VII of FIG. 5 on a larger scale, after the sleeveand the core have been assembled together.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The screwdriver shown in the drawings has a general axis X—X and isconstituted by four parts: a metal blade 1, a core 2 of rigid plasticsmaterial, a sleeve 3 of semi-rigid plastics material, and a locking pin4. These parts are made separately and then assembled togethermechanically.

In the text below, the words “front” and “rear” relate respectively tothe distal and proximal ends of the handle, and to the right and leftends as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 7.

The core 2 is a solid body defining, going from front to rear:

a front portion 5 of small diameter that is substantially frustoconical,converging rearwards with a small angle at the apex α equal to about0.2° to 1°, for example 0.5°, and whose front end face 6 is plane;

a fluted intermediate portion 7 comprising a forwardly-converging frontregion 8A followed by a cylindrical rear region 8B, and in which thereare provided a plurality (six in this example) oflongitudinally-extending cylindrical flutes 9. Close to its rear end,the region 8B has a radial shoulder 10 forming a step of slightlygreater height. The portions 5 and 7 of the core are separated by acircular groove 11 having a radial front flank and aforwardly-converging rear flank; and

a rear knob 12 of roughly hemispherical shape, having a radial frontface 13 joining the rear end of the region 8 and the fluting 9.

The core 2 also has a localized portion in relief 14 projecting from thebottom of one of the flutes 9. This portion in relief extends axiallyfrom the face 13 and presents a shape with an intermediate constrictionwhen seen in plan view (FIG. 5). The core is also provided with an axialblind hole 15 which extends from its front end to an intermediateshoulder of the portion 7, and at the rear end of this hole 15 it has aradial blind hole 16 provided between two flutes 9 (FIGS. 5 and 6).

The inside shape of the sleeve (FIGS. 5 to 7) is complementary to theoutside shape of the portions 5 and 7 of the core. In particular, thesleeve includes a front portion 17 converging rearwardly at the angle α,and a rear portion 18 having a rearwardly-diverging front region 19Afollowed by a cylindrical rear region 19B with six axial splines 20projecting from its cylindrical inside surface. The portions 17 and 18are separated by a circular rib 21 whose front flank is radial while itsrear flank converges forwards (FIG. 7).

At the rear end of one of the splines 20 there is provided anindentation 22 that is complementary to the portion in relief 14 on thecore, and that is open rearwardly.

On the outside, the sleeve has a section which is circular in itsportion 17 and which is roughly polygonal (square in this example) inits portion 18. Its profile lengthwise (FIG. 5) on going from front torear convex, then concave, and then substantially parallel to the axisX—X. Each face of the portion 18 has portions in relief 23 with roundededges formed thereon (FIG. 1) for improving grip on the tool.

A stepped radial orifice 24 is formed through the sleeve between twosplines 20, and a hollow radial shoulder 25 is provided at the rear endof the cylindrical surface 19B.

The core 2 and the sleeve 3 are made separately by injection molding,the sleeve is engaged on the core by being threaded on from in front(arrow F in FIG. 5), with its indentation 22 in the same radialhalf-plane as the portion in relief 14. The splines 20 penetrate intothe fluting 9 until the shoulders 10 of the core come into abutmentagainst the complementary shoulders 25 of the sleeve. At the end of thismovement, the portion in relief 14 snaps into the indentation 22 and therib 21 snaps into the groove 11. The front end of the sleeve is thensubstantially in register with the end face 6 of the core, leaving theend face visible.

The sleeve is then prevented from turning relative to the core by thesplines 20 and the fluting 9, and it is locked in translation, rearwardsby the shoulders 10, and forwards by three means: firstly byco-operation between the rib 21 and the groove 11; secondly by theundercut surfaces 5 and 17; and finally by the portion in relief 14snap-fastening in the indentation 22.

To supplement and to reinforce this locking arrangement, the pin 4 isforced through the orifice 24 and into the hole 16 in the core (FIG. 6).

The assembly operations, including force-fitting the rear portion of theblade 1 in the axial hole 15 of the core, can be performedautomatically. The same applies to marking the sleeve which is easy totake hold of and to manipulate because it is semi-rigid.

The term “semi-rigid” is used to mean that it has the property of beingsubstantially undeformable, while nevertheless being sufficientlyelastic to deform slightly under the action of high forces of the kinddeveloped in a press (i.e., when the sleeve is press-fitted on thecore). This is in contrast both to the almost completely rigid corematerial, and to the flexibility of elastomers.

By way of example, the core can be made of polypropylene or of celluloseacetate, while the sleeve can be made of soft polypropylene which is amaterial sold under the trade name “Santoprene”.

Depending on the application, recourse may be had to any appropriatecombination of the four axial locking means described above (5-17,11-21, 14-22, and 4-16-23). The first three locking means are completelyhidden by the sleeve, while the pin 4 is visible in its orifice 24 andcan then be used for color coding.

In a variant, the sleeve may be made as a composite part having part orall of its outside surface covered in a more flexible surface layer forgripping purposes, as referenced 26 in FIG. 1.

In another variant, the core 2 may be overmolded on the blade 1.

1. A handle for a tool, the handle comprising: a core formed of rigidmaterial and being adapted to be secured to a blade of the tool; and asleeve formed of semi-rigid plastics material, said sleeve beingpress-fitted onto the core, wherein said core and said sleeve are eachprovided with relief portions for mutual positioning in a rotationaldirection, and mutual positioning means for mutual positioning in anaxial direction, wherein the sleeve is a part that is distinct from thecore, and the semi-rigid material is substantially non-deformable so asto permit the sleeve to be press-fitted onto the core from a front endthereof, wherein the mutual positioning means comprise rear abutmentmeans and locking means for locking the sleeve in a rear abutmentposition, wherein the locking means comprises cooperating portions inrelief on the core and on the sleeve, said cooperating portions inrelief being hidden by the sleeve, and wherein the locking means furthercomprises complementary surfaces on said core and said sleeve, whereinsaid complementary surfaces extend from the front end faces of said coreand said sleeve and converge rearwardly so as to lock the sleeve in itsrear abutment position.
 2. A handle according to claim 1, wherein thesleeve extends to the front end of the core.
 3. A handle according toclaim 1, wherein an angle of convergence of said complementary surfaceslies substantially in the range of 0.2° to 1°.
 4. A handle according toclaim 3, wherein said angle of convergence is substantially 0.5°.
 5. Ahandle according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve includes a grippinglayer provided on at least a portion of the outside surface, said griplayer being made of a material that is more flexible than the semi-rigidplastics material.
 6. A handle according to claim 1, wherein the toolhandle is a screwdriver handle.
 7. A handle according to claim 1,wherein said portion in relief is provided in said sleeve and saidrecess is provided in said core, and said portion in relief is providedat the rear end of the converging surface of said sleeve.
 8. A handlefor a tool, the handle comprising: a core formed of rigid material andbeing adapted to be secured to a blade of the tool; and a sleeve formedof semi-rigid plastics material, said sleeve being press-fitted onto thecore, wherein said core and said sleeve are each provided with reliefportions for mutual positioning in a rotational direction, and mutualpositioning means for mutual positioning in an axial direction, whereinthe sleeve is a part that is distinct from the core, and the semi-rigidmaterial is substantially non-deformable so as to permit the sleeve tobe press-fitted onto the core from a front end thereof, wherein themutual positioning means comprise rear abutment means and locking meansfor locking the sleeve in a rear abutment position, wherein said lockingmeans comprises at least one male portion in relief of said core or ofsaid sleeve snap-fastening axially in a recess formed in the other oneof said core or said sleeve.
 9. A handle according to claim 8, whereinsaid male portion in relief is a circular rib and said recess is acircular groove.
 10. A handle according to claim 9, wherein said groovehas a radial front flank and a forwardly-converging rear flank, and saidrib has a radial front flank and a forwardly-converging rear flank. 11.A handle according to claim 8, wherein said portion in relief isprovided in said sleeve and said recess is provided in said core.
 12. Ahandle according to claim 8, wherein said portion in relief is alocalized projection on a rear portion of the core, and said localizedprojection is adapted to snap axially into a rearwardly-open localizedrecess provided at a rear end of the sleeve.
 13. A handle for a tool,the handle comprising: a core formed of rigid material and being adaptedto be secured to a blade of the tool; and a sleeve formed of semi-rigidplastics material, said sleeve being press-fitted onto the core, whereinsaid core and said sleeve are each provided with relief portions formutual positioning in a rotational direction, and mutual positioningmeans for mutual positioning in an axial direction, wherein the sleeveis a part that is distinct from the core, and the semi-rigid material issubstantially non-deformable so as to permit the sleeve to bepress-fitted onto the core from a front end thereof, wherein the mutualpositioning means comprise rear abutment means and locking means forlocking the sleeve in a rear abutment position, and wherein the lockingmeans comprises a locking pin which passes through a radial orifice ofthe sleeve and penetrates a radial recess of the core.